I really like the both Dike and Robinson from this years class. Dike is the classic what if Ray Lewis played soccer blend of size, strength and athleticism. Dike has a lot of skills that you like in a target forward. The finishing is a bit of a question mark as Dike didn't really score tons of goals at UVA. Robinson also has a nice combination of size and athleticism, but doesn't have the mass of Dike. He doesn't have much of a hold-up game, but 18 goals in 19 games is impressive and he scores in a multitude of ways. Both feet, head, inside the box, outside the box, poaching, creating his own shot. Definitely think if Robinson wasn't from a small town in SC with a December birth date that he would have been on the US Youth Radar. Curious if a players with his similar skill set got in the Dallas Academy at a young age what difference that would make versus playing in Camden Youth Leagues where he could probably beat the opponents 1 on 11.
Thank you. Would be interesting to see him on U-23. Wondering when they listed Jozy though. At middle school?
This made me laugh. Thanks for that! And there's some truth there, not just with Jozy and Dike but any measurements listed rosters or media guides, etc... Hardly anyone is ever 5-11 because 6-0 sounds sexier so they round up. Who knows how tall these players (all sports) actually are or what their real weight is. https://images.app.goo.gl/x1sgScxBfEEnZnMV7 I just know when you look at Dike, his shoulders are massive and his thighs like oak trees. https://images.app.goo.gl/QCRsdxinQ5sE6BmL8 This is Dike against U20 CB Nico Benalcazar, who is listed at 5-11 and 175. Dike towers over him. https://images.app.goo.gl/TAK2hMzYNr8pDSc57 This is from last year, Dike and Cleveland State (then) senior Dan Bent, who was listed at 6-1, 187, which is pretty average size for a pro CB and he looks like a kid next to Dike. (Look at the difference in their thighs.) Again, size doesn't beat skill and smarts and it's not the end-all and be-all. But he's a unique physical package and he's not without any skill and he is only begin to tap into his potential. I think he's gonna be a good pro.
Danilo Acosta inked a contract with the Galaxy after they took him in the End-of-Year Waivers Process in November. The Galaxy have brought in Emiliano Insua to presumably start at left back.
Best buds John Nelson is one player I'm hoping will take a step forward for FCD next season. We always knew @cpulisic_10 was an FC Dallas fan... 😏📸: @Nelson_J14 🔴 #DTID 🔵 pic.twitter.com/JlBsnHoMBq— FC Dallas (@FCDallas) January 8, 2020 Oh...................FCD has spent the offseason locking down its core players. Pomykal, Ferreira, Hedges, Hollingshead, and now Jesse Gonzalez. One of the most successful HG signings in league history, and he's still only 24 years old. Under contract thru 2023. Four more of years of @jessegonzalez44 with @FCDallas 👐! https://t.co/NeTE7a4NmY #DTID pic.twitter.com/HJxvKqlhvR— Major League Soccer (@MLS) January 9, 2020 Oh #2...............Happy 17th birthday to this guy. Still a year away before we can even broach the subject of Europe. A BIG Happy Birthday to our guy @Ricardo_Pepi9! 🎊Celebrate Pepi's birthday with a BOGO one-topping concrete at participating @EatAndys locations! 🍦🎁: https://t.co/xg0ICjQ3FG pic.twitter.com/WMFPUtddfK— FC Dallas (@FCDallas) January 9, 2020
This is a fascinating column to me. I had no idea about the breadth of FCD international efforts. FC Dallas Academy is expanding international with hopes to fuel the first team https://t.co/JjbCFGDQmF— Jose Antonio Carmona (@ElChicoCarmona) January 4, 2020
Your first overall pick: Robbie Robinson#InterMiamiCF selects the 2019 Mac Hermann winning striker from @ClemsonMSoccer in the @MLS #SuperDraft presented by @adidassoccer. pic.twitter.com/qJKukr87Kr— Inter Miami CF (@InterMiamiCF) January 9, 2020 A look at the fútbol Robbie Robinson brings to #InterMiamiCF#SuperDraft pic.twitter.com/E9PAjIA3AT— Inter Miami CF (@InterMiamiCF) January 9, 2020
So, Miami (through today's third draft pick) passed on Dike. They now have Robinson and Agudelo, plus Carranza and Kiesewetter. You figure they add at least one, probably two established attackers if not more. Will be interesting to see how this shakes out for RR. My totally uninformed guess is he ends up battling Agudelo for the third striker spot, but if he can do better, great. Edit: If Orlando passes on Dike, a young U-Va. guy might fall in Bruce Arena's lap. Good times. Edit edit: Orlando took him. Edit edit edit: And, of course, NE took Kessler, so ... a young U-Va. guy fell in Bruce Arena's lap. Good times!
I really like the pick of '97 Garrett McLaughlin by Houston. That kid just has "it" in terms of goalscoring instinct. I was hoping he'd fall to FCD, but he didn't come close. Unless I'm mistaken, both Dike and McLaughlin spent time with the Oklahoma City Energy's academy. Good production from that club. Two of the top 8 draft picks.
FCD had two picks in the first round. At #14 they selected Cal Jennings, a '97 forward out of UCF. Former Georgia United academy player. 18 goals in 20 games this season. At #10 they had selected NKosi Burgess. A '97 left-sided centerback out of Seattle. WAC defensive player of the year. The twitterverse seemed to like the decisions. Both probably start the season at NTSC and don't impact our young yanks. If Jennings plays well I guess he can compete with Pepi off the bench. @Kombucha I just saw Nasheville take Tanner Dieterich from Clemson in the 2nd round. Did RSL pass on signing him as a homegrown? That caught me off guard.
Not really...................................1st round picks will likely get first team deals. John Nelson and Callum Montgomery did last year. Nelson got plenty of first team playing time prior to his injury. We'll see.
Don't they have to get first team deals? Which is why so many are speculating that a team will pass in the first round, if not this year, soon.
I actually feel kinda bad for him. There is no way that he will be able to compete with Ricardo Pepi and Jesus Fererria. To NTSC he goes.
There are rumors out there that Euro clubs are trying to acquire Ondrasik after his recent form for the Czech Republic. I don't know if FCD will "sell high," but we'll see. Note that both Ferreira and Pepi may be gone extensively with USYNTs. While I think you're right, let's not jump the gun. Let's see how he performs and go from there. A few years ago FCD gave the most playing time of any club in the league to its own draft picks (see Matt Hedges, Ryan Hollingshead, and company).
Rather remarkable, to me at least, how light the USYNT footprint is on the list of players picked today. Lots of reasons, many of them obvious, but still -- not a lot of familiar names in the context of important recent callups.
U-23-eligible Americans picked today: 1. MIA: Robbie Robinson, F Clemson (Jr.) - 12/17/98 2. NSH: Jack Maher, D Indiana (So.) - 10/28/99 3. MIA: Dylan Nealis, D Georgetown - 7/30/98 5. ORL: Daryl Dike, F Virginia (So.) - 6/3/00 6. NE: Henry Kessler, D Virginia (Jr.) - 6/25/98 7. CLB: Miguel Berry, F San Diego - 9/16/97 8. HOU: Garrett McLaughlin, F Southern Methodist - 11/10/97 9. COL: Jeremy Kelly, M North Carolina, - 10/21/97 10. NYRB: Patrick Seagrist, D Marquette - 2/21/98 12. SJ: Tanner Beason, D Stanford - 3/23/97 14. DAL: Nkosi Burgess, D Seattle - 3/23/97 17. DAL: Cal Jennings, F Central Florida - 5/17/97 22. NYC: Jesus Perez , M Illinois-Chicago - 10/1/97 26: CHI: Jonathan Jimenez, M/D, Pacific^ - 12/7/97 27. SJ : Jack Skahan, M North Carolina - 2/7/98 28. NSH: Tanner Dieterich, M/D, Clemson - 5/4/98 30. NE: Simon Lekresner, D California - 9/1/98 31. ORL: Joey DeZart, M Wake Forest - 6/9/98 32. VAN: Daniel Gagliardi, GK Florida International - 1/21/97 34. HOU: Luka Prpa, M Marquette - 7/27/98 36. NYRB: Wallis Lapsley, GK UC Davis - 4/14/97 38. SJ: Jon Bell, D UMBC - 8/26/97 39. ORL: Jonathan Dean, D Central Florida -5/15/97 42. DC: Josh Fawole, F Loyola - 7/21/98 43. NE: Keegan Meyer, GK High Point - 3/10/97 44. ORL: Austin Aviza, GK Providence - 2/17/97 46. RSL: Michael Wetungu, D Michigan State - 4/5/98 47. CLB: Remi Prieur, GK St. Mary’s - 4/17/97 49. CLB: Danny Griffin, M Providence - 7/14/98 ^Had the option of taking a redshirt year but opted to turn pro.
Sargent, Weah, Soto, Ferreira, Gioacchini, Dike all were born in '00. There was a time where Gyasi Zardes was starting for our NT at CF. 2000 is looking like our golden generation at CF.
I hope Dike has a good season with Orlando B. He will have to compete against Dwyer, Akindele, Michel and Patino.
With the exception of Nealis, which I got from Transfermarkt, all of these DOBs come from the MLS website. So if they turn out to be wrong...
I don't expect all of them to pan-out, but if just two of them turn out to be good national team caliber players, the USMNT will be in pretty good shape.
I have no opinion as to how good Dike is, but that's not exactly a murderer's row of forwards at this point. Weirdly, Orlando seems to almost never send down MLS-contract players to play with OCB. Maybe that will change in 2020.
I genuinely appreciate the optimistic take. However, I think it's not that hard to counter with an equally plausible glass-half-empty take. --Weah might be better out wide and not suited to playing as a true CF at the highest level. --Ferreira might be better as a #10 or withdrawn forward and not suited to playing as a true CF at the highest level. --Soto has spent this season injured and/or benched for a bad team in the 2nd Bundesliga and really needs his next move to be a good one to get his career back on track. --Gioacchini has a handful of goals in Ligue 2, but so what? Siebatcheu scored quite a bit at that level at a young age, and he hasn't been able to translate that to Ligue 1. --I don't know anything about Dike.